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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Serenity - Lionheart + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.nov.-01-2017 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2017 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......The_Patriarch Songs........cd1: 13 cd2: 5 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... serenity-band.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Serenity Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Lionheart Label : Napalm ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ At this point, itÆs no secret that IÆm a huge ║ │
│║ fan of symphonic power metal, and itÆs also no ║ │
│║ secret that out of all bands to play that style ║ │
│║ of music, Austrian band Serenity is easily my ║ │
│║ all-time favorite. Ever since I heard their ║ │
│║ third album Death & Legacy for the first time, ║ │
│║ IÆve been absolutely in love with their brand of ║ │
│║ epic, cinematic symphonic metal mixed with ║ │
│║ speedy power metal, and everything theyÆve done ║ │
│║ before and after that album has left me almost ║ │
│║ as impressed as that release did. Their previous ║ │
│║ release Codex Atlanticus was perhaps their ║ │
│║ weakest release since their second album Fallen ║ │
│║ Sanctuary, which came before their current sound ║ │
│║ had fully developed, yet it still kept me ║ │
│║ thoroughly entertained, so obviously I was ║ │
│║ excited when I heard the band was planning on ║ │
│║ releasing their sixth full-length album, ║ │
│║ Lionheart, less than two years later. Well, that ║ │
│║ release is now almost here, and I can say once ║ │
│║ again the band has delivered in a big way! In ║ │
│║ fact, this time IÆd say theyÆve stepped up their ║ │
│║ game once again, delivering a more consistently ║ │
│║ impressive album than Codex Atlanticus, and even ║ │
│║ perhaps matching Death & Legacy (only time will ║ │
│║ tell on that one.) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ One thing working in the bandÆs favor this time ║ │
│║ around is that Lionheart is actually their first ║ │
│║ release since Fallen Sanctuary to not feature ║ │
│║ any lineup changes, which has allowed more time ║ │
│║ for the current members to work together and ║ │
│║ build off what they had going on their previous ║ │
│║ release. In particular, guitarist Chris ║ │
│║ Hermsd÷rfer showed a lot of potential on Codex ║ │
│║ Atlanticus, throwing in some heavier riffs than ║ │
│║ expected at times, and also including some very ║ │
│║ nice solos, but throughout most of the tracks, ║ │
│║ it felt as if he was being limited a bit. This ║ │
│║ time around, while the orchestras and vocals are ║ │
│║ obviously still as important to the music as ║ │
│║ ever and remain the main focus, Chris has been ║ │
│║ given a ton of room to work with on most of the ║ │
│║ tracks, and he uses a thicker, more modernized ║ │
│║ guitar sound at times, which adds an extra edge ║ │
│║ to the music, and some of the riffs here are ║ │
│║ quite aggressive but they fit in with the songs ║ │
│║ perfectly, while his solo work is very beautiful ║ │
│║ and melodic, like it was on the previous album, ║ │
│║ except even better. It does make sense that the ║ │
│║ guitar work would be a bit heavier and have a ║ │
│║ more expanded role on this album, as the overall ║ │
│║ theme of the album tells the tale of Richard 1 ║ │
│║ (often known as Richard the Lionheart) and so a ║ │
│║ lot of the songs talk about epic battles and ║ │
│║ achievements, which allows room for the heavy ║ │
│║ guitars to come in, while the orchestras and ║ │
│║ vocal melodies are still as epic and ever, and ║ │
│║ also very much fit in with the tone of the ║ │
│║ lyrics. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Of course, this being a Serenity album, thereÆs ║ │
│║ also a softer side to the music, which comes ║ │
│║ through on many of the tracks, and there are ║ │
│║ some very emotional lyrics at times, especially ║ │
│║ on tracks like the ballad ôHeavenö, the sort of ║ │
│║ power ballad ôMy Fantasyö and the epic closer ║ │
│║ ôThe Final Crusadeö. These are all tracks where ║ │
│║ the vocals take the leading role, and of course, ║ │
│║ Georg Neuhauser delivers the goods as always. He ║ │
│║ has a warm, beautiful tone to his voice that ║ │
│║ works perfectly on the softer tracks, allowing ║ │
│║ the melodies to really shine through, and as ║ │
│║ always he sounds like a much calmer, smoother ║ │
│║ singing version of Tony Kakko. At the same time, ║ │
│║ he can put in a bit of extra power to fit in ║ │
│║ well during the heavier passages, and as always ║ │
│║ he does a fantastic job on the epic choruses, ║ │
│║ which are very much in full supply on this ║ │
│║ album. As always, though, he also gets a bit of ║ │
│║ extra help on a few tracks, both from bassist ║ │
│║ Fabio DÆAmore, whose more aggressive, animated ║ │
│║ vocals fit in well on the heavier track ôStand ║ │
│║ and Fightö, as well as from two female guest ║ │
│║ vocalists, who both work very well with Georg ║ │
│║ and help provide some of the biggest highlights ║ │
│║ of the album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ As expected, the album kicks off with a brief ║ │
│║ but epic orchestral intro, which very much feels ║ │
│║ like it would fit in perfectly as part of a film ║ │
│║ score, with epic choir vocals used to add extra ║ │
│║ flavor. This feel carries over to the start of ║ │
│║ the opening song ôUnitedö, which opens softly ║ │
│║ with orchestras and keys, before the lead guitar ║ │
│║ kicks in with some nice melodic leads, and the ║ │
│║ album officially gets underway. Like some of ║ │
│║ SerenityÆs classic openers, this is a more mid- ║ │
│║ paced affair, though the presence of heavy ║ │
│║ guitars during the verses helps add an extra ║ │
│║ layer to the music, to go along with the ║ │
│║ orchestras and GeorgÆs vocals, which are both as ║ │
│║ epic and amazing as ever. The heavy verses give ║ │
│║ way to the chorus, which is of course insanely ║ │
│║ epic and well sung as always, as well as being ║ │
│║ engaging and very catchy. The guitars actually ║ │
│║ get even heavier during the second verse and ║ │
│║ Georg sings a bit deeper and with more power ║ │
│║ than usual, which is pretty awesome. Towards the ║ │
│║ end of the track thereÆs an epic guitar solo, ║ │
│║ which really shows ChrisÆs skills off, and then ║ │
│║ we get an incredible final run through the ║ │
│║ chorus. All in all, itÆs a perfect album opener, ║ │
│║ which at times brings back memories of when I ║ │
│║ first heard ôNew Horizonö from Death & Legacy, ║ │
│║ and was immediately blown away. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In case that song didnÆt already set the bar ║ │
│║ high, the title track comes next and is an ║ │
│║ absolute masterpiece! It comes flying out of the ║ │
│║ gate with some nice folk melodies, and the ║ │
│║ verses keep the momentum going, charging along ║ │
│║ at a very fast pace, and overall itÆs a track ║ │
│║ that very much feels like classic Euro power ║ │
│║ metal, complete with an epic, very speedy chorus ║ │
│║ that is of course as insanely catchy as one ║ │
│║ would expect from a Serenity single. Georg is in ║ │
│║ top form as always, the choir vocals are epic, ║ │
│║ and the guitar work is again heavy in bursts, ║ │
│║ and Chris once again delivers an excellent ║ │
│║ melodic solo in the middle. The end of the track ║ │
│║ is also a highlight, as the folk melodies return ║ │
│║ and we even get some epic marching drums to ║ │
│║ close out the track. Easily one of the best ║ │
│║ tracks on the album, though things hardly go ║ │
│║ downhill afterward. Next is ôHeroö, another ║ │
│║ track where the guitar work really stands out. ║ │
│║ It kicks off with easily some of heaviest, most ║ │
│║ brutal sounding riffs IÆve ever heard on a ║ │
│║ Serenity album, and after a brief calmer section ║ │
│║ where Georg steals the show, the song continues ║ │
│║ moving at a fast pace, and is another instantly ║ │
│║ memorable track, where the orchestra, guitars, ║ │
│║ and vocals blend together to create something ║ │
│║ truly special. The chorus is once again a ║ │
│║ highlight, and the heavy riffs are used pretty ║ │
│║ much constantly throughout, especially in the ║ │
│║ middle right before giving way to an extended ║ │
│║ softer passage where the orchestra and vocals ║ │
│║ take over. After that is yet another speedy ║ │
│║ track in ôRising Highö, though on this track the ║ │
│║ guitars are a bit softer and have more of a ║ │
│║ classic power metal sound. ItÆs another fast- ║ │
│║ paced track with energetic verses, complete with ║ │
│║ one of the catchiest choruses on the album, and ║ │
│║ another excellent guitar solo in the second ║ │
│║ half. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Things settle down for a bit after that track, ║ │
│║ with the only full ballad on the album, ║ │
│║ ôHeavenö. ItÆs the kind of epic, folk-infused ║ │
│║ ballad the band always does well, with some nice ║ │
│║ folk melodies throughout, which blend in well ║ │
│║ with the piano and orchestra, and of course, ║ │
│║ GeorgÆs beautiful vocals feel right at home on ║ │
│║ this kind of song. The chorus is again ║ │
│║ excellent, very catchy and very beautiful at the ║ │
│║ same time. ThereÆs a nice guitar solo in between ║ │
│║ verses, before we get the first guest appearance ║ │
│║ on the album from Faun vocalist Katja Moslehner, ║ │
│║ who has a very soft and lovely voice that ║ │
│║ carries the second verse and chorus for a while, ║ │
│║ though the song gets, even more, epic when Georg ║ │
│║ comes back in and the two sing together for the ║ │
│║ final chorus. Serenity is always excellent at ║ │
│║ delivering ballads, and if anything this is one ║ │
│║ of their very best efforts to date. The ║ │
│║ following track may disappoint some folks, as ║ │
│║ the title ôKingÆs Landingö is sure to make fans ║ │
│║ of the HBO series Game of Thrones excited, with ║ │
│║ that being the name of one of the showÆs main ║ │
│║ settings, but in fact the song has nothing to do ║ │
│║ with that series at all, and is instead a ║ │
│║ simple, but very beautiful piano interlude that ║ │
│║ offers a slowed down take on some of the ║ │
│║ melodies found on the next track. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Which takes us into the second half, where ║ │
│║ ôEternal Victoryö kicks things off at a high ║ │
│║ tempo once again, following another nice folk ║ │
│║ section at the beginning. ItÆs another very ║ │
│║ speedy track, with some excellent guitar leads ║ │
│║ to go along with the epic orchestras, and it has ║ │
│║ another fantastic, super catchy chorus, which ║ │
│║ uses choir vocals effectively, as well as some ║ │
│║ very fun verses, and another great guitar solo. ║ │
│║ The final run through the chorus dials the choir ║ │
│║ vocals up to an 11 and is simply incredible. ║ │
│║ Next, is ôStand and Fightö, perhaps the ║ │
│║ catchiest song on the entire album, and yet ║ │
│║ another speedy track that delivers the goods. It ║ │
│║ begins with a brief tease at the chorus before ║ │
│║ the guitars kick in and we get some heavy riffs ║ │
│║ during the verses, to go along with some very ║ │
│║ animated vocals performed by Fabio, before Georg ║ │
│║ takes over just in time for the chorus, and ║ │
│║ sings along with some epic choirs. The ║ │
│║ instrumental section is again brilliant, as ║ │
│║ first, we get an extended orchestral section ║ │
│║ where the symphonic elements are used in full ║ │
│║ force, and then we get another amazing guitar ║ │
│║ solo. Overall, itÆs yet another major standout ║ │
│║ track and for sure one of my favorites on the ║ │
│║ album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ After that the track, the pace slows down a bit ║ │
│║ for the final four tracks, though the quality ║ │
│║ doesnÆt let up at all. Next is ôThe Fortress (of ║ │
│║ Blood and Sand)ö, the kind of hard-hitting mid- ║ │
│║ paced track the band had a ton of on their ║ │
│║ earlier albums, and here itÆs done very ║ │
│║ effectively, with the verses offering a nice ║ │
│║ contrast between aggressive guitars and GeorgÆs ║ │
│║ soft vocals, while the chorus is melodic and ║ │
│║ very catchy as always, and of course the solo ║ │
│║ section gets heavier again and is pretty ║ │
│║ awesome. The following track ôEmpireö is ║ │
│║ slightly speedier and more melodic, though itÆs ║ │
│║ still more mid-paced than many of the earlier ║ │
│║ tracks. It has some very epic vocal melodies as ║ │
│║ always and features another one of the stronger ║ │
│║ choruses on the album, especially the final run ║ │
│║ through. Though itÆs a softer track, Chris is ║ │
│║ again given room to showcase his skills during ║ │
│║ the middle section, with some heavy riffs, and ║ │
│║ as always he adds an extra guitar presence that ║ │
│║ I felt was missing a bit from the previous three ║ │
│║ albums. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Things go softer again as we head towards the ║ │
│║ end, with ôMy Fantasyö starting off feeling like ║ │
│║ a ballad, with some nice piano work and soft ║ │
│║ male vocals. I canÆt tell if these are performed ║ │
│║ by Fabio or someone else, but theyöre definitely ║ │
│║ not done by Georg, as they sound different from ║ │
│║ him. Whoever is singing there, they do a nice ║ │
│║ job of setting the tone for the song, before the ║ │
│║ guitars kick in and the track turns into more of ║ │
│║ a power ballad, with Georg leading the way as ║ │
│║ always, providing some of his best vocals during ║ │
│║ the chorus. As always, thereÆs some great guitar ║ │
│║ work, later on, this time with a very emotional ║ │
│║ guitar solo, which leads the way to the final ║ │
│║ run through of the chorus, and ends the song on ║ │
│║ a high note. Last, but certainly not least, we ║ │
│║ have the epic closing track ôThe Final Crusadeö. ║ │
│║ This is a lot calmer than most Serenity closing ║ │
│║ tracks, opening with some nice acoustic guitar ║ │
│║ work before settling into a mid-paced groove, ║ │
│║ and it stays at this tempo the whole way ║ │
│║ through, with some relaxing but fairly engaging ║ │
│║ verses, which give way to the most surprising ║ │
│║ section on the album, that being a brief extreme ║ │
│║ metal passage where some harsh vocals are ║ │
│║ included. The growls sound pretty cool and add ║ │
│║ extra flavor to the track, leading into a very ║ │
│║ emotional and exciting chorus, where Georg ║ │
│║ delivers some of the most powerful vocals IÆve ║ │
│║ ever heard from him. ItÆs a beautiful song the ║ │
│║ whole way through, but the highlight of the ║ │
│║ track, and perhaps even the entire album, comes ║ │
│║ in the final two minutes, as Sleeping Romance ║ │
│║ vocalist Federica Lanna comes in at first during ║ │
│║ a beautiful piano section, then sings with Georg ║ │
│║ during the chorus, and she closes out the album ║ │
│║ with an absolutely beautiful final run through ║ │
│║ of the chorus, along with some amazing guitar ║ │
│║ work in the background. Serenity has always ║ │
│║ delivered some amazing closing tracks, but I ║ │
│║ think this one may be their very best yet. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I always have very high expectations when I ║ │
│║ listen to a Serenity album, as theyÆre far and ║ │
│║ away my favorite symphonic power metal band in ║ │
│║ the world, and that happens to be my favorite ║ │
│║ genre of all, but once again the band has ║ │
│║ managed to blow me away with Lionheart, ║ │
│║ delivering one of their very best albums to ║ │
│║ date. It contains the kind of epic, orchestral ║ │
│║ symphonic metal fans of the band have come to ║ │
│║ expect, with some very melodic and emotional ║ │
│║ tracks, enhanced by excellent female vocals on a ║ │
│║ couple tracks, and it, of course, has the epic ║ │
│║ mid-paced tracks the band has always excelled ║ │
│║ at, but it also has some of their best speedier ║ │
│║ tracks to date, as well as an increased use of ║ │
│║ heavy guitar work to further enhance the songs. ║ │
│║ ItÆs easily the best album of its kind IÆve ║ │
│║ heard since Death & Legacy, even surpassing the ║ │
│║ two previous efforts from the band, Codex ║ │
│║ Atlanticus and War of Ages. Longtime fans of the ║ │
│║ band are sure to love it, and IÆd highly ║ │
│║ recommend it to any fans of symphonic power ║ │
│║ metal as well, as the genre doesnÆt get any ║ │
│║ better than this! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ - cd01 [ ] │
│ - [ ] │
│ 01 - Deus Lo Vult [01:52] │
│ 02 - United [05:34] │
│ 03 - Lionheart [04:38] │
│ 04 - Hero [04:25] │
│ 05 - Rising High [03:31] │
│ 06 - Heaven [04:09] │
│ 07 - King's Landing [02:11] │
│ 08 - Eternal Victory [04:41] │
│ 09 - Stand and Fight [04:26] │
│ 10 - The Fortress (of Blood and Sand) [04:27] │
│ 11 - Empire [04:28] │
│ 12 - My Fantasy [04:46] │
│ 13 - The Final Crusade [05:38] │
│ - [ ] │
│ - cd02 [ ] │
│ - [ ] │
│ 01 - Engraved Within (Piano Version) [04:30] │
│ 02 - When Canvas Starts To Burn (Piano Version) [03:33] │
│ 03 - Coldness Kills (Piano Version) [04:52] │
│ 04 - To India's Shores (Death & Legacy) [04:35] │
│ 05 - Youngest Of Widows (Death & Legacy) [04:06] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [76:22 minn │
│ │
│ │
│ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘